Live from Qwest/Ljungberg to play 30 minutes

Practice has ended. A crew just placed tarps over some seats in the corners of the south end zone, which will cut stadium capacity from the 32,400 last week to 27,700 this Saturday.

Freddie Ljungberg spoke to reporters after practice and said he looks forward to playing Saturday. The last true game in which he played was against Russia in the European championships last June.

“I feel a bit, like we say in Europe, like a calf who goes out to green grass after being in the barn for a while.”

Ljungberg had surgery for a torn labrum in his hip late last year and is a month ahead of schedule in his recovery. He said he expects to play up to 30 minutes.

Other notes: D-M Nathan Sturgis is expected to be available to play this week. He’s back from a quadriceps injury, but the indication from coach Sigi Schmid is that the starting lineup from last week won’t change…M Sanna Nyassi missed the 11-on-11 drill because of a sore hamstring… Funny moment after practice when Osvaldo Alonso kept trying to distract Jhon Kennedy Hurtado during Hurtado’s interview with a TV crew from Univision. Alonso made faces, stuck out his tongue and waved his arms…The team had Kyle Montgomery, a forward-midfielder from Cal Poly and Seattle who is home for spring break, at practiced Thursday. Montgomery is a junior from Blanchet High School.